ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Defence
Defence Secretary meets delegations from Saudi Arabia, USA and Oman on the sidelines of Aero India 2023
Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane held bilateral meetings on 12 February 2023 with three defence delegations on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 at Bengaluru.
Defence Secretary met Mr Engr Turki Saad, General Manager Industrial Relations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and discussed a number of bilateral defence cooperation issues.
A US delegation led by Mr Jedijiah P. Royal, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, and accompanied by Ambassador Elizabeth Jones, Charge D'Affairs US Embassy and Maj Gen Julian Cheator, US Air Force, met the Defence Secretary.
A wide range of ongoing and future defence cooperation issues were discussed. US is participating in Aero India with a number of officials, companies and aircrafts.
Later, Defence Secretary met a delegation from Oman led by HE Dr Mohammed Nasser Al Zaabi, Secretary General, Ministry of Defence. The ongoing defence cooperation was reviewed and possible opportunities for increasing the depth and scope of engagements was discussed.
ABB/Anand
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Ministry of Coal
Coal Ministry to Organize National Mineral Congress and Coal Gasification Plant Visit in Bhubaneshwar
Industry Experts From 20 Prominent Companies to Attend
Focus on Challenges in Aluminium & Steel Sector, Coal Gasification and Roadmap for Coal to Hydrogen
Ministry of Coal will be organizing National Mineral Congress and field visit of Coal Gasification Plant of JSPL at Angul, Bhubaneshwar on 27th and 28th May 2022. Secretary Coal, Dr Anil Kumar Jain who is also Chairman of Indian National Committee of World Mining Congress  will be inaugurating the Congress. Industry experts in the field of Coal Gasification such as Naveen Jindal Chairman JSPL, Directors of CIL, NLCIL will also be part of panel discussions besides representatives of BHEL, EIL, CIMFR, Air Products. The Congress will be attended by experts from more than 20 Companies such as CIL and its subsidiaries, BHEL, SCCL, NLCIL, Hindalco, Vedanta, HCL, NALCO, Tata Steel, JSPL, EPIROC, GAINWELL, EIL, STM Constructions, Synata Bio, Air Products and many other companies.
The visit to Coal Gasification plant at Angul will be taking place on 28th May, 2022 and is expected to provide an opportunity to professionals engaged in setting up of coal gasification plants in India to gain first-hand knowledge about the functioning of gasification plant.
The major sub themes of the Congress are as follows:-
- Technology Adoption in Mining
- Challenges in Aluminium and Steel Sector
- Coal Gasification and Roadmap for Coal to Hydrogen
Technology adoption and Coal Gasification is focus area of the Central Government and to take ahead the vision, Ministry of Coal has also launched documents related to Mission for 100 Million Ton  Coal Gasification by 2030; Road map of Coal to Hydrogen and Technology Roadmap during last 6 months after detailed stake holder consultation.
The National Mineral Congress is being organized by INC WMC with an aim to serve as a common platform to interact, thoughtfully deliberate /discuss and to decide effective ways and means for addressing this all-important issue by having brain storming sessions that are suitably structured.
Indian National Committee of World Mining Congress  is affiliated to World Mining Congress an organization affiliated to United Nations. The objective of Organization is to promote and foster the development of mining and mineral sector with emphasis on the Indian mining sector. On approval by the Cabinet, the Organization was registered under Societies Registration Act in 2016 with the Minister of Coal as Patron, Secretary Coal as Chairman with Secretaries of Power, Steel and Mines as co-chairman. Apart from various academic institutions, professional bodies companies engaged in mining were made members of the society with Chairman CIL as Member Secretary.
Post Covid, the activities were revised in 2021 and since then this is the first major physical event planed by the Society.
Ministry of Development of North-East Region
MoU signed between Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and UNDP
‘Prime Ministers’ main focus is development of Social and Infrastructure connectivity in North Eastern Region: Shri B.L. Verma
On 22nd August, 2023, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region  and UNDP, in the presence of Minister of State for Ministry of DoNER and Ministry of Cooperation, Shri B.L.Verma and UN Assistant Secretary-General & Director of the United Nations Development Programme  Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy , Ms Ulrika Modéer, entered into an MoU wherein UNDP would provide MDoNER with technical support on fast-tracking progress on the SDGs; monitoring, evaluation and capacity building; support Aspirational districts and blocks; support in the deployment of emerging technologies in governance and in scaling up good practices.
Minister of State, MDoNER, Shri B.L. Verma addressed the delegates and said, Prime Ministers’ main focus is development of Social and Infrastructure connectivity in NER and hope UNDP will help the Ministry in achieving this goal. He also said, “The Ministry of DoNER has taken remarkable strides across critical sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, health, education, climate change and economic growth to transform the lives of the people in the region. In this journey, UNDP has been our key partner in promoting data-driven decision-making, especially through the North East Region District SDG Index”
MoS also stated that the NER District SDG Index helped in forming the flagship PM-DevINE scheme, which provides infrastructure and social development funding to boost livelihood opportunities in the region, especially for women and youth.
Ms. Ulrika Modéer appreciated the Government of India's efforts towards fast-tracking the development of the North Eastern Region. She said, "UNDP is privileged to sign this MoU with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. We are committed to supporting national and sub national efforts to accelerate progress on the goals by providing technical support on SDG localization and improved capacities towards implementation and monitoring of programmes.”
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates IN-SPACe and ISRO for successfully launching two payloads of Indian Start-ups in Space by PSLV C53
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated IN-SPACe and ISRO for successfully launching two payloads of Indian Start-ups in Space by PSLV C53 mission.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
"The PSLV C53 mission has achieved a new milestone by launching two payloads of Indian Start-ups in Space. Congratulations @INSPACeIND and @isro for enabling this venture. Confident that many more Indian companies will reach Space in near future."
Prime Minister's Office
PM lauds the passage of One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Constitution Amendment Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha.
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the passage of the Constitution  Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha.
"Delighted the Rajya Sabha has passed the Constitution  Bill, 2019. Glad to see such widespread support for the Bill. The House also witnessed a vibrant debate, where several members expressed their insightful opinions.
Passage of The Constitution  Bill, 2019 in both Houses of Parliament is a victory for social justice.It ensures a wider canvas for our Yuva Shakti to showcase their prowess and contribute towards India’s transformation.
By passing The Constitution  Bill, 2019, we pay tributes to the makers of our Constitution and the great freedom fighters, who envisioned an India that is strong and inclusive", the Prime Minister said.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Union Minister of State Dr. L Murugan to visit Cannes
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. L. Murugan is set to embark on a visit to France. Dr Murugan will leave for France on Saturday, May 21, 2022 to attend Cannes Film Festival from May 22 to 24, 2022.
Dr. L. Murugan, will reach France on 22 May, 2022 and thereafter will attend various events and meetings at the Cannes Film Festival.
Dr. Murugan, will reach New Delhi in the Morning of 25th May 2022.
Ministry of Defence
Scholarship from NDF
The Government grants scholarship to the children of working , retired and deceased defence and para-military force personnel through National Defence Fund.
The Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme  under the aegis of the National Defence Fund was instituted with effect from 2006-07. Scholarships are available for higher education at technical institutions  and are available for a period of four years for each student and 5 years for medical students. The academic requirement for enrolment in the scheme is 60% marks at 10+2 level and 50% marks for renewal each year. The existing rates of scholarship  is Rs. 2500/- per month for boys and Rs. 3000/- per month for girls. The details of the scholarship and budget provision are given below:-
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S. no.
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Nodal Ministry
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Number and amount of scholarship @ Rs. 2000/Rs.2250 for boys/girls respectively
for AY
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Number and amount of scholarship at enhanced rate Rs.2500/Rs.3000 pm 
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Additional
Budget
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Numberof scholarship
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Total amount per annum
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Number of scholarship
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Total amount per annum
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|
i
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Defence
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5500
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|
14,02,50,000
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5500
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18,15,00,000
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4,12,50,000
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ii
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|
Home
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|
2000
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|
5,10,00,000
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|
2000
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6,60,00,000
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|
1,50,00,000
|
|
|
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iii
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|
Railway
|
|
150
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38,25,000
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|
150
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49,50,000
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11,25,000
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iv
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State Police

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Does not exist
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500
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1,65,00,000
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1,65,00,000
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Total
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7650
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19,50,75,000
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8150
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26,89,50,000
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7,38,75,000
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The amount of National Defence Fund has been increased. The details of the amount increase are shown in above table of part .
The total amount paid as scholarship so far through National Defence Fund is Rs.347.50 crore. The State wise breakup is not maintained as the allotment of the scholarship is based on merit list. The breakup of the total amount paid as scholarship so far Ministry wise is as under:-
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Ministries
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Amount 
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Ministry of Defence
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Rs. 299.73
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Ministry of Home Affairs
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Rs. 41.72
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Ministry of Railways
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Rs. 6.05
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Total
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Rs. 347.50
The scheme has been extended to the wards of State Police Personnel who are killed during terror/Naxal attacks from the Academic Year 2019-20 onwards. A budgetary amount of Rs. 1.65 crore has been made for this category for 500 scholarship @ Rs.2500/Rs.3000 for boys/girls respectively. The nodal Ministry for such scholarship will be Ministry of Home Affairs .
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik in a written reply to Shri Sunil Kumar Singh and others in Lok Sabha today.
Nampi/DK/HS
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Competition Commission of India
CCI approves the acquisition of less than 5% shareholding in Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited by Canary Investments Limited and Link Investment Trust II
The Competition Commission of India  approves the acquisition of less than 5% shareholding in Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited by Canary Investments Limited and Link Investment Trust II, under Section 31 of the Competition Act, 2002.
The Proposed Combination relates to acquisition of less than 5% shareholding ofIntas Pharmaceuticals Limited  by Canary Investments Limited  and Link Investment Trust II .
Canary is an investment company registered in Mauritius. Link II is a private trust created and registered under the laws of India.Intas is a public limited company incorporated and registered under the laws of India. Intas is said to be a vertically integrated global pharmaceutical formulation development, manufacturing, and marketing company.
The Commission approved the Proposed Combination subject to the carrying out of modifications proposed by Canary and Link II.
The detailed order of the CCI will follow.
Special Service and Features
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY
National institute of fashion technology is a premier institute of Design, Management and Technology set up under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. NIFT has been granted statutory status under the Act of Parliament of India 2006, which empowers the institute to award Bachelor and MasterDegrees and other academic distinctions.
NIFT Chennai has been accredited for ISO 9001:2015 standard. NIFT Chennai ranks 3rd Best Fashion Technology institutes as per survey by India Todayand 5th place among the top 20 fashion colleges in Outlook’s survey of India’s Best Professional colleges.
CRAFT BAZAAR 2021 - POKKISHAM
NIFT with active support from the Ministry of Textiles, Office of Development Commissioner  and Office of Development Commissioner  has developed and implemented Craft Cluster Initiative Program which aims to provide continuous exposure to the handloom and handicraft clusters, providing an opportunity for creative innovation and experimentation to its makers.
Through this initiative, NIFT aims to reach out to the artisans and craftsmen at the grass root level and work with them hand in hand each year.The artisans and craftsmen involved in the initiative, benefits through knowledge and skill building, exposure to urban markets, new designinterventions, and linkages with new markets.
As part of this program, NIFT Chennai is proud to present the Handlooms and Handicrafts of Tamil Nadu in the form of our unique Craft Bazaar titled POKKISHAM from 29.10.2021 to 31.10.2021.The three-day event shall commence with our Chief Guest Dr. Beela Rajesh, Principal Secretary/Commissioner, Commissionerate of Handlooms and Textiles, Tamil Nadu - inaugurating the Craft Bazaar on 29th October 2021 at 12pm in NIFT Campus.
The crafts who will be participating at our campus:
• Singaperumal kovil - Papier Mache
• Thirubhuvanam Handloom Society
• Cane and Kora Grass craft, Thaikkal
• Ari embroidery, Kaverapettai
• Pulicat Palm Leaf Craft
• Anana fit natural fiber cluster, Anakaputhur.
• Aasai Handicraft - Leather Chappals. Belt, Bag, Purse
• Salem Beads craft – Narikuravar community from Gugai
• Paper Lamps - Pondicherry
• Leather embossing – Pondicherry
The bazaar shall be open to the public on:
29th October 2021 – Friday – 3pm to 7pm
30th October 2021 – Saturday – 10am to 7pm
31st October 2021 – Sunday – 10am to 7pm
Prime Minister's Office
PM undertakes aerial survey of cyclone Fani affected areas in Odisha; reviews the situation
PM announces immediate assistance worth Rs.1000 crores
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today visited the State of Odisha to review the situation arising out of Cyclone Fani that hit the State on 3rd May, 2019. He undertook an aerial survey of Pipili, Puri, Konark, Nimapada and Bhubaneswar. The Governor, Professor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Patnaik and Union Cabinet Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also accompanied the Prime Minister in the aerial survey.
Thereafter, Prime Minister took a meeting of the senior officers of the State and Central Government to take stock of the damage caused by the cyclone and the relief & rehabilitation measures being undertaken. The Prime Minister assured all possible assistance to the State. He announced immediate assistance worth Rs.1000 crores. This is apart from Rs. 341 crores already released to the State Government on 29th April, 2019. He promised further assistance after the assessment by an inter-ministerial Central team.
The Prime Minister expressed his full solidarity with the people of Odisha. He said that the Central Government is fully committed not only for providing immediate relief, but also to ensure rebuilding of the state. He appreciated the role played by technology including satellite imagery and advanced weather forecasting techniques in minimising loss of life. He said that the combination of technological capabilities and human interface has enabled last mile connectivity with the affected. The State Government’s efforts in evacuating more than a million people to safety and the efforts of IMD to give accurate forecast were specially appreciated by the Prime Minister. He appreciated the resilience of the people and the fishermen living in the coastal areas. He also expressed satisfaction at the excellent coordination between the Union and the State Government which helped to minimise causalities. The Prime Minister said that he knows the extent of damage and destruction such a cyclone brings, as he too has been a Chief Minister of a coastal state.
The Prime Minister assured that a Central team will visit the State soon to assess the extent of damage to infrastructure, housing, fishermen and farms and relief to be provided to the State. He directed the State and Central Government officers of Power, Telecom, Railways to ensure restoration of services at the earliest. He also directed the Road and Surface Transport Ministry to take effective steps for repair of roads damaged and also provide all assistance to the State in this regard. He directed that insurance companies must dispatch their observers immediately to the flood hit areas to assess the farmer’s claim related to crop insurance and provide them relief at the earliest.
The Prime Minister announced ex-gratia of Rupees two lakhs to next of the kin of the deceased and Rupees fifty thousand to seriously injured in the cyclone. The Prime Minister assured the people of the State that the Union Government stands shoulder to shoulder with them at this difficult time.
Prime Minister's Office
National Salt Satyagraha Memorial in Dandi, Gujarat dedicated to the nation by PM
Dandi memorial encapsulates the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi’s Agrah, Swatchagrah and Satyagraha, says the PM.
Gramuday to Bharatuday is the mission and idea:PM
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial at Dandi in Navsari district, Gujarat to the nation today on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.
At the memorial site, he also unveiled statues of Mahatma Gandhi and 80 Satyagrahis who had marched with him during the historic Dandi Salt March in 1930 to make salt from sea water against the British law. The memorial also has 24-narrative murals depicting various events and stories from the historic 1930 Salt March. Solar trees are installed to meet the energy requirements of the memorial complex. The PM took a round through the memorial.
Addressing a public meeting, the PM congratulated everyone who has worked for the memorial. PM said “this memorial reminds us of the great sacrifices of the people of our country for the cause of freedom”. The PM added, the Dandi memorial encapsulates the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi- Agrah for Swadeshi, Swatchagrah and Satyagraha and it will be a major attraction for the tourists in the coming days.
The PM said, “ In an effort to carry forward the legacy of Gandhiji, our government has modernised around 2000 institutions related to khadi. It has benefitted lakhs of craftsmen and workers. Khadi is now not only a fashion statement but a symbol of women empowerment as well”. Swadeshi played an immensely important role in freedom struggle, likewise, handlooms will be instrumental in overcoming poverty. The government has declared 7th of August to be celebrated as Handlooms Day, every year to promote handlooms, the PM added.
Underlining the importance laid by Gandhi jee for Swachchata, PM said we have imbibed those values fro a clean India. The impact of Swachcha Bharat Abhiyan is that the cleanliness in rural area has increased from just 38 per cent in 2014 to 98 per cent now with the NDA Government in power.
Reiterating his endeavour to bring basic amenities to the villages from clean cooking fuel to electricity and healthcare to financial services, PM said it is in line with our mission and the idea of ‘Gramuday to Bharatuday’.
The PM is on a day-long visit to Gujarat. Earlier in the day, PM laid the foundation stone for extension of Terminal Building of Surat Airport and inaugurated various developmental projects in Surat. He has also dedicated state of the art Rasilaben Sevantilal Venus Hospital, Surat to the nation. PM also addressed New India Youth Conclave in Surat.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Estimated savings/benefits of Rs. 59,599 crore upto March, 2019 under ‘PAHAL’ scheme
There have been estimated savings/benefits of Rs. 59,599 crore for the Government upto March, 2019 under the ‘PAHAL’ scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The statement of fiscal policy, as required under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003, laid in Parliament along with other budget documents by the Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman today, states that 4.23 crore duplicate, fake/non-existent, inactive LPG connections have been eliminated under this DBT scheme. Under the ‘PAHAL’ scheme, beneficiaries buy LPG cylinders at market rate and subsequently received subsidy directly in their bank accounts. Direct Benefit Transfer is a landmark initiative of the Government to ensure that benefits under various welfare and subsidy programmes of the country reach eligible and rightful beneficiaries. The document states that in addition, there are 1.86 crore non-subsidised LPG consumers, including 1.03 crore ‘Give it up’ consumers.
On the issue of Direct Benefit Transfer in PDS kerosene, the statements of Fiscal Policy indicate that till date, 12 State Governments/UTs have voluntarily surrendered their PDS kerosene allocations under DBTK Scheme. Eight State Governments/UTs have already cut down their PDS kerosene allocation to Nil. There has been an overall reduction of 12% for the year 2018-19 in comparison to the allocation of 2017-18.
The Budget Estimates provide an amount of Rs. 37478 crore as Petroleum subsidy for the 2019-20, compared to Rs. 24833 crore in revised estimates of 2018-19. Out of the above, Rs. 32989 crore are earmarked for LPG subsidy while Rs. 4489 crore have been allocated for kerosene subsidy.